NHL: Flyers struck down by Lightning

Philadelphia Flyers left wing Ruslan Fedotenko (26) controls the puck in front of Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

TAMPA — One minute Wayne Simmonds was as funny as a TV star. The next, he was sitting in a penalty box wearing a proverbial dunce cap.

Simmonds, still glowing in his highlight reel ArenaVision moment Sunday night, was suddenly caught on camera again, this time chewing it up with an official and earning an unsportsmanlike conduct call in the process. Giving away free passes to power plays is not the way to beat the skilled Tampa Bay Lightning.

Simmonds was in that box for all of 43 seconds before Ted Purcell scored what not only was a game-tying goal for Tampa, but one that opened the gates to what became a 5-1 Lightning-quick thrashing of the Flyers at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Purcell’s power play goal at 14:34 of the first period nullified Sean Couturier’s first-minute Flyers goal, and also what to that point had been a very sharp period by first-time (this season) Flyers starting goalie Michael Leighton.

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That unavoidable tying goal changed the game, ruining any slim chance the Flyers had of putting together a two-day sweep of Florida for the Flyers.

Just 1:36 after Purcell’s goal, Eric Brewer collected a puck from Purcell at the point and fired a shot toward Leighton. The puck seemed to deflect a bit off Max Talbot, but either way slipped easily past Leighton’s stick. And 2:45 after that goal, again on a power play, Vinny Lecavalier unloaded a shot from a sharp angle that rocketed over Leighton’s shoulder before he saw it for a 3-1 Lightning lead.

Quite the fast turnaround for a team that didn’t need one of its prime players to speak out of turn when he did.

Simmonds’ penalty seemed similar to one given to Claude Giroux in a loss in New Jersey three games earlier. When the Flyers captain talked out of turn to an official, he was slapped with an “abuse of officials” call.

Maybe Simmonds’ words were actually a little more polite, getting just an “unsportsmanlike” tagged to them.

Either way, the damage was done. That three goal outburst all but buried the Flyers (2-4), who lost a second-day, back-to-back game for the second time this short season.

The game had started promisingly, as Lightning goalie Anders Lindback left a hole between his leg and the post, and Couturier put the puck through 59 seconds in from a bad angle.

That Flyers lead should have been built upon, as Simmonds and Tampa Bay’s B.J. Crombeen engaged in some fun, and Simmonds came out of it with a roughing call, while Crombeen was whistled for - get this - three minors.

His collection of holding, interference and roughing gave the Flyers a four-minute power play. It also gave Simmonds cause to give a thumbs up while the penalties were being announced, that little bit of fun caught on the ArenaVision screen.

But four minutes of disorganized, effortless hockey later - during which the Flyers got one shot on goal - Simmonds was prepping for another screen appearance. Only this time, he got a thumb from the official.

All that was left for the Lightning were three strikes to knock the Flyers out. Goals in the third period by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos provided the final blows. As for Simmonds, his last act was to earn a 10-minute misconduct penalty in the third for jawing and shoving the Lightning’s Ryan Malone.